Brazilian researchers discover new shrimp species

Brazilian scientists from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) have detected a new species of buffalo shrimp which they named Alpheus Coralvivo after the Living Coral Project, it was reported. The crustacean was said to live on coral reefs off Brazil's northeastern coast. It was found in cavities in the limestone skeleton of fire coral and inside coral gravel on the south coast of Bahia and Río Grande del Norte. The Living Coral Project initiative has for more than two decades contributed to the preservation and conservation of marine communities, especially coral reefs. The scientists reviewed the animal's morphology and compared it with other species nearby, in addition to conducting a genetic test that corroborated it was indeed a new species. “This discovery expands the data on known animal biodiversity in Brazil and around the world, and also helps in conservation studies of marine species,” said researcher Patricia Souza dos Santos, a professor in the Animal Biology ...